Tasting Notes
If you like coffee, you can skip Starbucks and go straight to this beer. Dark black color with a tan head and plenty of roasted aromas. Wonderful stout flavor notes surrounded by espresso and cocoa with a finish that lingers for quite some time.

Ricky’s Thoughts

I am SO excited to be drinking this beer. You don’t understand… we could get this beer with ease when we lived in Indiana. Now that we are in Arizona, we can’t get ANYTHING from Founders. They don’t distribute here. Not. Fair. But never fear… thanks to a recent obsession with RateBeer, I have started some pretty serious beer trading. I traded for this beer, actually with a guy in Fishers, Indiana, and he sent us two cans of 3BEANS, 2 bottles of this, and 2 bottles of Alpha King. That is also on our list. Oh, and he sent us two bottles of the Founders Imperial Stout.

I have to blame Dakine for my obsession with RateBeer. He said it was good… and he was right. I have since traded with a guy in Chicago, a guy in Virginia, and a guy in the Russian River Valley. He is actually sending us all of the beers on the list from the Valley. I am even working on a trade with my buddy Jake back home. I’m hooked!

It’s time to start drinking… I can remember what this beer tastes like, but I haven’t had it in a couple of years now. I can’t wait to smell this, let alone drink it. Let’s drink!

In the Glass: It is darker than I remember. It poured somewhat thick, and I could smell it before I was finished pouring. We are both really excited about this beer. I blame Founders for NOT shipping to the west coast. The beer also produced a nice dark tan head, and while thin, still leaves me excited to drink. If you have never had the Founders Breakfast Stout… do yourself a favor. Get a bottle. It’s worth every penny and always good to the last drop.

Nose: It smells like an imperial stout. It has a little copper note to it, but that is because of how cold it is. I just grabbed this from the fridge, so I am going to let it sit for a little bit before I drink it. I will probably drink half now, and half later. I like letting beers like this get to room temperature for the full enjoyment of the flavor. They call it Breakfast Stout, but they could easily call this Dessert Stout. This truly is a meal in a glass!

Flavor: This is the moment we have all been waiting for… at least the moment I have been waiting for. It is as good as I remember! It seems a little hotter than I remember, but that is probably because of how cold it is. It has an incredible mouthfeel and aftertaste, but we will get there. If you have ever had an imperial stout before, those are the same flavors that rush the palate. Then, as you swallow, a little dryness kicks in, and you get the soft subtle Irish stout flavor that we have all come to expect from a Guinness. Not the best beer in the world, but one that deserves our attention.

Mouthfeel: I have been on a stout kick lately. It’s getting warmer, so I should be moving away from those… but I like the mouthfeel and the aftertaste of a good thick stout. This stout is just that… thick. It is easy to drink, but the beer coats the tongue with a nice layer of awesome! Every time I swallow I am getting those same flavors, and while I want to drink more, I want to savor this as long as I can! Very few bubbles here.

Aftertaste: I swallowed my first drink 5 minutes ago, and the aftertaste is still there. It becomes increasingly more dry as you continue to swallow, but the aftertaste might be the best part of this beer. I don’t usually care for Guinness, at least chilled Guinness, but the aftertaste is similar. Not as boring as Guinness, but the same drying sensation that I am experiencing with this.

Founders is a great brewing company, and I miss them. In the trade that I am working with Jake, he is going to send me some Founders beers. One that he is sending I have never heard of… so I am excited for that. I didn’t request any more Breakfast Stout, as we already have one more bottle in the fridge. There is only so much time to drink beer! This bottle came a long way, but tastes as good as I remember. Maybe we will make pancakes and bacon the next time we drink this… a TRUE breakfast beer! Bottoms up, people.

Founders Breakfast Stout – The bottle says: “NA”

Rating: 5/5

Sheryl’s Thoughts

The beer we are trying today is one of my favorites, so I’m excited! This is a beer that Ricky and I used to get in Indiana. I remember how excited he was when he first brought home a four-pack of it. I was just starting to get into craft beer at that point. This beer is from Founders, and they have a lot of great ones. This one is no exception – in fact, it’s one of their best. And those of you in Indiana can get it pretty much any time! I’m jealous. Anyway, let’s move on.

The beer poured out into the glass with a moderate amount of light brown head. Mine has been sitting here for a few minutes, so the head has dissipated by now. The beer smells awesome in the glass. It smells very chocolatey to me, like chocolate and coffee, two things I really like. This is one of those beers I could just sit and smell all day. In the glass, it looks basically black. Thick, very dark, and you aren’t seeing anything through that glass. This beer both looks and smells fabulous. And since I’ve had it before, I know it will taste fabulous too.

Yummy. First taste is just as good as I remember. It has a little bit of a burnt or smokey taste to it, along with some dark chocolate, which I taste more than coffee. It’s got a great mouthfeel, and the aftertaste sticks around for a long time, lingering with that dark chocolate and smokey taste on your tongue. I’d rather have this aftertaste than hops any day – sorry, hop heads! If you’re a stout person, this is definitely worth a try. It’s one of the best, and readily available for those of you that live closer to Michigan. Ricky was just asking me what beers I missed from Indiana, and this is one of them. My first trip back there after we moved, and I had to grab a four-pack of this. I think I only drank one while I was there, so I have a friend that may still have some in her fridge, who knows. (Maybe I should get her to send those to me if they’re still there!) At any rate, this is definitely a wonderful heavy stout with a great taste. One I’d for sure buy again, when I get the chance!

Pours very dark brown, nearly black, with a tall and enduring chestnut brown head. The contemplative nose includes dark cary sugar and notes of chocolate, dried figs, and red...

About 1001 Bottles

Sheryl and Ricky are both bloggers, but have never blogged together. One day Sheryl sent Ricky a URL to a book titled 1001 Beers You Must Try Before You Die. When Ricky saw that book, this blog was born. So they began a journey of trying all 1001 beers. One bottle at a time, they will search for, purchase, drink and review for your pleasure. From this bottle to the next, bottoms up!